seymour



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

M. J. SEYMOUR.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LAMP BLAUK. NO. 278,749.

Patented June 5, 1883.

h I //v VE/VTOR M WITNESSES a. 693% N. FKYERS, min-Lithograph". Wuhingion. D. C

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. J. SEYMOUR. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LAMP BLACK. Nb. 278,749. Patented June 5,1883.

W/TNESSES [/VVE/VTOR I rvv- Affarney N. PETERS. Phnblhhog'aplwr, Washinflfln. D. C.

whereby the finely-divided carbon of the smoke UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARVIN JfsEYMoUn, or OLEAN, NEW YORK.

I PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LAMP-BLACK.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 278,749, dated June 5, 1883. Application filed March arises. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARVIN J. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Olean, in the county of Gattaraugus and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Lamp-Black; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7 This invention relates to themanuiacture of lamp-black by burning hydrocarbons and collecting the finely-divided carbon from the smoke.

The object of my invention is to enable the manufacture of lamp-black or carbon-black with greater rapidity and on alarger scale compared with the apparatus used than has been practicable by the methods and apparatus hitherto employed.

My invention is intended especially for use in making lamp-black from, the gas issuing from oil-wells, but is applicable also to treating the smoke from any kind of hydrocarbon.

It has been customary in the manufacture of lamp-black to provide the apparatus with col lectingplates upon which the flames of burning hydrocarbons impinge and deposit soot, which is soraped off and forms lamp-black. In almost all apparatus for this purp osethe collectin'g-plates are kept cool by causing water to flow in contact with the side opposite that upon which the soot is collected, and said plates are commonly revolved in contact with a scraper orscrapers, so that clean surfaces will be continually brought over the flames. The process is very slow, and the yield small in comparison with the plant, a large amount of manual labor being necessarily expended in collecting and packing the product of the machines.

' My invention comprises, first, an improved process, and, second an improved apparatus for carrying out said process.

The process consists, broadly in first forcing the smoke from burning hydrocarbons,

is intercepted, while the volatile gases pass on through the liquid or vapor and escape, and then evaporating the liquid or condensed vapor charged with the finely-divided carbon, the latter forming lamp-black of great purity. For the liquid I prefer to use water, and when a vapor is used wet steam answers the purpose.

The apparatus consists, mainly, in the combination of a tank for holding a liquid or moist vapor, a blowing or air-forcing apparatus, a conduitleading from the eduction-pipe of the blow-- ing or air-forcing apparatus into the tank, and a suitable funnel connected with said conduit between the tank and air-forcing apparatus, and

arranged to direct the smoke from burning hydrocarbons into said conduit, so that the current of air created by the air-forcing apparatus will carry the smoke through the conduit and into the liquid or vapor in the tank.

It also consists in certain novel details of construction, which will be hereinafter particularly described;

In the accompanying. drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of anapparatus adapted for the manuiacture of lamp-black according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line a: a7, and Fig. 3 is a section of the funnel and a portion of the conduit on the line 9 ;2 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus.

The letter A indicates a tank, which, for

convenience in drawing off its contents, is.

mounted on a stand or supporting-frame, a.

B is ablowing apparatus, irom the dischargepipe b of which a conduit or pipe, 0, leads into the tank A. Between the tank A and the blowing apparatus B a depending funnel, F, is connected with the pipe 0, and supported by suitable legs, f. This funnel is preferably oblong in shape" and arranged transversely with respect to the conduit. At the junction of the funnel with the conduit a deflectingplate, y, projects from one side of the neck of the funnel in the direction of the tank, for a purpose which will be presently explained.

The letter H indicates a series of pipes or burners, which project vertically into the lower end of the funnel F from the horizontal pipe I, which may be connected in any suita ble manner with the mouth of anoil-well or any other source of supply of hydrocarbon gas;

The tank A has its sides sloping inwardly toward its bottom, in order to facilitate the drawing off of the liquid, and near its bottom IO through the water may escape.

5 suitable lid, 0, a part of which is hinged, as

shown at p, and carries the funnel through which liquid may be introduced into the tank. From the stationary portion of the lid rises a pipe, Q, through which volatile gases passing This pipe Q is provided with a check-valve, q, opening outwardly, and the funnel p is provided with a stop-cock, The check-valve (1 and the stop-cock p" are only useful in case wet steam is used in the tank instead of water, as will be presently explained.

The operation of the apparatus as now described is as follows: Supposing water to be used in the tank, said tank is filled therewith to near its top, so that the end of the conduit 0 will be submerged, said end reaching nearly to the bottom of the tank. The blowing apparatus B is next set in motion through its belt-connection with any suitable motor, and

a blast of air is driven through the conduit 0 toward the tank. The stop-cock i is then turned to permit a supply of gas to flow to the burner-pipes H, at the mouths of which it is ignited. The smoke rising from the flames to the conduit 0 is driven through said conduit by the air-blast and into the water in the tank, the finely-divided carbon in the smoke being intercepted by the water and retained, while the volatile gases pass off through the pipe Q,

3 5 forcing their way past the check-valve q.

The offiee of the deflecting-plate g is to prevent the air-blast from passing directly down through the funnel and guide it onward through the conduit, which is also preferably provided 0 with a check flap-valve, 0, between the funnel and the tank, to prevent back flow of the air.

The operation of the apparatus as now described being kept up for a considerable time, the water in the tank becomes thickened by 5 the intercepted carbon, and when it reaches such a consistency as to materially interfere with the passage of the blast it is drawnoff through the cocks 7; and pipe [to the evaporating-pan M, where by gentle heat the water is thoroughly evaporated, and the carbon re mains in the form of a very pure lamp-black or carbon-black, which may be removed and packed in the ordinary manner. \Vhen a charge of thickened water has been drawn from the tank, fresh water may be supplied through funnel 1). 7

Instead of using water in the tank, I may connect therewith a pipe from a suitable steamgenerator, and fill the tank with wet steam,

which will collect the finely-divided carbon and become gradually condensed to a liquid thickened with said carbon. lVhen steam is used, the stopcock in the funnel p is kept closed, and the steam has not'suflicient pressure to escape through the check-valve q; but when volatile gases in sufficient volume have accumulated at the top of the tank they will force their way past said check-valve and es cape.

Having now fully described my invention and explained the operation thereof, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise construction of the apparatus, as-shown in my drawingsfbut may vary the same in any manner for the better carrying out my invention without departing from the essential principle thereof. For instance, I may force the air by suction instead of blast, and when wet steam is used I may use long inclined cylinders instead of the form of tank as shown in the drawings, so that a large volume of steam may be used, and the carbon-charged water of condensation will flow oif'continuously to the evaporating-pans.

1. The herein-described method or process of manufacturing lamp-black, the same consisting in first forcing the smoke from burning hydrocarbons through a suitable liquid or moist vapor, and then evaporating the liquid or condensed vapor to recover the finely-divided carbon which has been intercepted thereby, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a tank for holding a liquid or moist vapor, an air-forcing appara tus, a conduit connecting the air-forcing apparatus with the tank, and a suitable funnel connected with said conduit between the tank and air-forcing apparatus, and arranged to direct the smoke from burning hydrocarbons into said conduit, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination,with the tank, the blowing apparatus, the connecting-conduit, and the funnel connected with said conduit, of the burner-pipes H, connected with a suitable source of gas-supply, and opening to the interior of said funnel, substantially as set'forth.

4. The combination, with the tank and devices for causing the smoke to enter said tank, of a suitable evaporating apparatus arranged to receive liquid from said tank, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the funnel, blowing apparatus, and tank, of the deflecting-plate 2 arranged to prevent the blast from passing out through the funnel and to guide it onward to the tank, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' MARVIN J. SEYMOUR. lVitnesses S." G. N TTINGHAM, G. F. DOWNING. 

